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Nicolas Flamel
- "Mr Flamel, who celebrated his six hundred and sixty-fifth birthday last year, enjoys a quiet life in Devon with his wife, Perenelle (six hundred and fifty-eight)." Note the book being quoted is described to be old in 1992, so she and her husband are in fact older. In an early draft of the book, Harry read in Alchemy: Ancient Art and Science that Nicolas was born in the 1300s |died = Between 1992 and 1996 (aged between 665 and 696)Rowling stated on her website shortly before the publication of that Nicolas had died by the start of the book, which makes their date of deaths between 1992 when the stone was destroyed and 1996 which is when the sixth book starts. |marital = Married |species = Human |gender = Male |hair = White |eyes = Dark |skin = Pale white |family = Perenelle Flamel (wife) † |wand = Unknown length, wood and core |job = Alchemist |loyalty = *Beauxbatons Academy of Magic *Albus Dumbledore *Flamel family |theme = beauxbatons |hideb = |hidep = |hidef = |hidem = hide |hidea = |nationality = French}} Nicolas Flamel (c. 1326 – c. 1992) was a French wizard and famed alchemist who was the only known maker of the Philosopher's Stone, a legendary substance with incredible powers. He was a close friend and partner with former Hogwarts Headmaster Albus Dumbledore. He owed his considerable age to the Elixir of Life, which was produced from the Stone, along with his wife Perenelle. He was well over six hundred years old as of 1992, being one of the oldest wizards in history. Flamel was briefly mentioned on Albus Dumbledore's Chocolate Frog Card. Biography Early life Nicolas was born in the early 14th century. In his youth, Nicolas attended Beauxbatons Academy of Magic in the Pyrenees Mountains of France, and it was there that he met Perenelle, his future wife. It is said that he later funded both the academy's chateau and grounds, and a fountain on the grounds was named after the couple. Gaining immortality Flamel became a noted alchemist of considerable talent. At some point, he created the Philosopher's Stone, an item of immense magical power. With the Stone, he created the Elixir of Life, which extended his life. Although it is clear that he used the Elixir to greatly extend his life, it is not specified whether he used the Stone's powers to make himself greatly wealthy, as the Stone is also capable of turning any metal into gold. In or around the 1720s, Nicolas was implied to have been active in the field of either warfare or martial arts. By the next decade, however, he had become inactive in this field.In 1927, Nicolas claimed that he had not "seen action" in about 200 years. 200 years before the 1920s is the 1720s, to say it is a rough approximation. In 1762 he was spotted at an opera house in Paris. In the 1890s, Nicolas first came into contact with the brilliant teenager Albus Dumbledore. Gellert Grindelwald's revolution In 1927 Flamel was still living in Paris. When Albus Dumbledore began to take action to stop Gellert Grindelwald, Nicolas Flamel, as his friend, decided to help him in this, and for this reason, he agreed to lend his apartment to Magizoologist Newton Scamander and his friends, if the situation required. When Yusuf Kama, who tried to imprison them, fainted, Scamander together with Porpentina Goldstein and Jacob Kowalski decided to take advantage of the invitation. Then on the spot they removed the Water dragon parasite from the Kama's eye, and Newt and Tina went to the French Ministry of Magic, so when Nicolas returned home, he found there only inexorable and still unconscious Yusuf and sleeping Jacob. Kowalski mistook Flamel for a ghost, to which he replied that he was an alchemist and therefore immortal. Kowalski quipped that he did not look more than 375 years old. Jacob accidentally broke Nicolas’s hand shaking it. After the greeting, they both came to the crystal ball, which showed, among other things, that Grindelwald was about to make rally for his followers at the Lestrange Mausoleum on Pere Lachaise Cemetery. They also saw Credence Barebone and Nagini heading there, and Queenie Goldstein, Tina's sister and Jacob fiancee. When Jacob saw the woman, he asked the old man where the place in the ball was located, then quickly ran out of the apartment, first asking Nicolas to look after Kama. However, when Jacob looked at the place where Yusuf should lie, it turned out that it was already empty, making the request obsolete. A moment after Jacob left, the vision in the crystal ball changed and presented the upcoming tragic events related to the gathering of Grindelwald's supporters. After seeing that, the alchemist wanted to warn Dumbledore with the help of his book, but he couldn't contact him, he eventually contacted Eulalie Hicks, who advised him to go to the rescue himself. Nicolas, however, had doubts, because he had not been in active battle for two hundred years. Then the woman comforted him that everyone still believed in him, which eventually mobilised the old man to help. Flamel arrived as Grindelwald had escaped and unleashed Protego Diabolica in an attempt to destroy Paris, dark magic so powerful and unstable that none of the assembled wizards opposed to the Dark Wizard knew how to counter it. When Newt, Tina, Jacob, Yusuf, Nagini and Theseus Scamander ran out of the fire consuming everything, Nicolas ordered them to form a circle, plant their wands in the ground and use the General Counter-Spell. The effect was the creation of a cleansing, orange fire, which, directed nonverbally, among others by Flamel, eliminated the effect of Grindelwald's spell and saved the whole of city from destruction. After saving Paris, Nicolas comforted a tearful Jacob Kowalski, whose fiancée Queenie had joined Grindelwald's ranks. Death By the 1990s, Nicolas had moved to Great Britain with his wife and enjoyed a quiet life in Devon. However, the danger of the Stone's existence was brought to light when Voldemort, with the help of Hogwarts Professor Quirinus Quirrell, was nearly successful in stealing it for the purpose of restoring Voldemort to physical form. However, his plan was barely thwarted by the efforts of three noble children, Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley. Flamel agreed, along with Dumbledore, that the stone should be destroyed. With enough Elixir to set his affairs in order, it was expected that Flamel and his wife would die shortly thereafter. As their deaths drew near, Harry took the news as terrible, but Dumbledore told him that their deaths would be like "going to bed after a very, very long day", implying that when Nicolas and his wife passed on, they accepted their deaths with dignity. Personality and traits A kindly old man with a polite disposition, Nicolas Flamel warmly welcomed Newt Scamander, Jacob Kowalski, Tina Goldstein, and Yusuf Kama when they arrived at his home in Paris, treating Dumbledore's "friends" like his own. In spite of his advanced age of over 600, Nicolas was happy to do what he could to help put an end to Gellert Grindelwald's seemingly unstoppable rise to power, and agreed to let his home be used as a safe-house for those who opposed the Dark Wizard. Although he appeared to have had some doubts about his own abilities, Nicolas nevertheless proved himself to be a very brave and selfless individual, as he arrived to help Newt Scamander and the latter's allies to fight Grindelwald at the Lestrange family Mausoleum when called upon to do so by Eulalie Hicks, and although he arrived too late to help fight Grindelwald himself, Nicolas nevertheless displayed great courage both by his timely arrival, and by his help in containing the incredibly powerful, rampant blue fire Grindelwald conjured, and was, as such, instrumental to the efforts to save Paris from it. Despite making efforts to hide his Philosopher's Stone from the wrong hands (first in Gringotts Wizarding Bank, then in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry), Nicolas by the age of 690, much like his friend Albus Dumbledore, ultimately viewed death as "but the next great adventure". Hence, after Lord Voldemort very nearly succeeded in capturing his Philosopher's Stone, Nicolas willingly had it destroyed, having collected enough Elixir of Life to set his and his wife's affairs in order. Flamel was also well known for his love of opera. Magical abilities and skills Belying his frail exterior, Nicolas Flamel was a very powerful and accomplished wizard. Rich in learning and experience, testaments to Nicolas' considerable abilities were his proficiency in alchemy, held to be some of the most difficult magic known to Wizardkind, and Nicolas helping to save the city of Paris from the rampant, destructive black fire unleashed by Gellert Grindelwald, the most powerful Dark Wizard of the early 20th century. *'Alchemy': Nicolas Flamel was perhaps the greatest alchemist the world had ever seen, being the only known person to successfully create a Philosopher's Stone, the ultimate goal of alchemy. With this, Flamel was able to render himself and his wife Perenelle immortal for centuries, until he chose to destroy the stone of his own volition in 1992. *'Potions': Flamel was also an exceptionally gifted potioneer, as by using his alchemical knowledge of the properties of the Philosopher's Stone, he created the Elixir of Life, an incredible potion to make the drinker immortal. The effects of this potion were so extraordinary that by drinking it, he managed to remain alive and well for hundreds of years. *'Defence Against the Dark Arts:' Although the exact extent of his skills is uncertain, it is evident that Nicolas Flamel had extensive knowledge of the Dark Arts and was extremely adept at defending himself from them, as he instantly recognised and knew how to stop the incredibly dangerous and volatile blue fire conjured by Gellert Grindelwald, and, along with Newt and Theseus Scamander, Tina Goldstein, and Yusuf Kama, successfully contained that fire by means of a combined powerful General Counter-Spell, thus effectively prevented the destruction of Paris. Nicolas' home was also described by Dumbledore as being heavily warded by various powerful protective enchantments after he turned his home into a safe-house for Dumbledore's friends and allies, showing he was very proficient in the casting of them. Furthermore, Nicholas Flamel claimed that he had not "seen action" in about two hundred years, suggesting that prior to 1927, he used to be both an active and highly accomplished duellist. Despite his long absence from using martial magic, however, and initial doubt that he would be of any help in fighting Gellert Grindelwald, Ilvermorny professor Eulalie Hicks had great faith in his defensive abilities, and urged him to go to the Lestrange family Mausoleum to save Newt and his friends, which he did with great success, showing his remarkable talents in this field. *'Divination': Nicolas Flamel apparently had some ability in Divination, as he could gaze into crystal balls and see events unfold elsewhere, such as when he saw Credence Barebone, Nagini, and the upcoming Gellert Grindelwald rally at the Lestrange family Mausoleum. *'Wandless' and Non-verbal magic: Nicolas Flamel proved capable of using both wandless and nonverbal magic, both of which is advanced and highly difficult to perform even individually, yet Nicolas used both simultaneously when he unlocked the padlock on his phoenix-embossed book by simply touching it. *'Immortality': Having drunk the Elixir of Life on a continuous basis, Nicolas remained alive for over 600 years. However, while this extended his lifespan, his body continued to age, leading to a frail and ancient appearance. His life became completely reliant on the Elixir and the Stone used to brew it. Once he agreed to destroy the Stone and depleted the potion, Nicolas died. *'Social networking': Due to having lived over 600 years thanks to the Philosopher's Stone's Elixir of Life, Nicolas Flamel has a vast network of international contacts in the whole Wizarding World, communicating with them via his phoenix-embossed book. Notable among his contacts were Albus Dumbledore of Hogwarts, and Eulalie Hicks of Ilvermorny. *'Bilingualism:' Nicolas Flamel spoke his native French, as well as fluent English, with only a slight accent in the latter. Possessions *'Wand': Nicolas owned a wand of an unknown length, wood and core material. *'Philosopher's Stone': Nicolas created the legendary and mystical Philosopher's Stone, an incredibly powerful magical object that granted him and his wife a greatly extended lifespan through the power of Immortality. *'Elixir of Life': Being the creator of the Philosopher's Stone, Flamel was able to brew the Elixir of Life, a legendary and unique potion that granted the power of immortality to the drinker, which kept him and his wife alive for hundreds of years. *'Flamel House': Flamel owned a house in Paris, that was the home of him and his wife for many years. *'Crystal ball': Nicolas owned a crystal ball that could be used to see into the future. *'Phoenix-embossed book': Nicolas owned a book that he used to magically communicate with other wizards and witches throughout the Wizarding world, such as Albus Dumbledore and Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry professor Eulalie Hicks. Relationships Perenelle Flamel Perenelle Flamel was the wife of Nicolas Flamel. Nicolas Flamel shared the Philosopher's Stone with Perenelle, making them both immortal until the Stone was destroyed in 1992. Albus Dumbledore , his good and long-time friend]] Albus Dumbledore was a close friend to Nicolas. During the Global wizarding war, Flamel let him use his home as a safe house for allies that opposed the Dark Wizard Gellert Grindelwald, and helped protect Paris from certain destruction at the hands of said revolutionary leader alongside Newt Scamander, Theseus Scamander, Tina Goldstein and Yusuf Kama. The faith and trust he had in Dumbledore is evident, and highlighted by his allowing Albus to put the Stone in Gringotts Wizarding Bank in London in 1991 to prevent Lord Voldemort from stealing it. It was also Albus who moved the stone to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for further protection later the same year. Etymology *''Nicolas'' is the French form of the Greek name Nikolaos meaning "victory of the people". *The name Flamel means in Old French "flame". Such meaning can be associated to Flamel's work as an alchemist. Behind the scenes *In , Flamel's first name is spelt as Nicholas, adding an h'' in the subtitles and the book Hermione Granger reads. *Also in the film, Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger discover the link to Nicolas Flamel and the stone through a book, rather than Albus Dumbledore's Chocolate Frog Card. (In a deleted scene you see them discovering the connection through a chocolate frog card, but it was switched when edited.) * was a real French scribe believed in legend to have been an alchemist who created the Philosopher's Stone. He was born about 1330 and died in 1418. There is no proof that the historical Flamel achieved immortality with his wife Perenelle, though a few have claimed to have seen him throughout the centuries, or that he was even involved in alchemy at all. Some treasure-hunters accidentally dug up his grave and discovered that his tomb was empty. Another goal of Nicolas Flamel according to the legend was to turn ordinary lead into pure gold. The reference to Flamel marks one of the few occasions in which a real person has been referenced as a character in the Potter books. *''Nicolas Flamel is the title of chapter 13 in . *In a deleted first draft of , Harry revealed that Nicholas Flamel was spotted in an opera house which was located in Paris in 1762. Whether this is canon is unknown."Very early page of Philosopher's Stone", by J. K. Rowling - *Nicolas was the first known Beauxbatons student introduced in the series, though the fact that he attended Beauxbatons was only revealed on Pottermore. *Nicolas Flamel appeared in the second film of the Fantastic Beasts series, portrayed by Brontis Jodorowsky.Pottermore: Nicolas Flamel Cast *The pronunciation of Flamel's first name varies by canon source. While the s is pronounced in the Harry Potter films, Nicolas himself says it with a silent s in , which is the French pronunciation. Author's comments J. K. Rowling admitted that several months into the writing of , she had a highly detailed and exceptionally vivid dream about Flamel, which was like "a renaissance painting come to life". Flamel was leading her around his cluttered laboratory, which was bathed in golden light, and showing exactly how to make the Stone. Appearances * * * * * * * * * External links * Notes and references da:Nicolas Flamel de:Nicolas Flamel de2:Nicolas Flamel el:Νίκολας Φλαμέλ es:Nicolas Flamel fi:Nicolas Flamel fr:Nicolas Flamel he:ניקולאס פלאמל it:Nicolas Flamel ja:ニコラス・フラメル nl:Nicolaas Flamel no:Nicolas Flamel pl:Nicolas Flamel pt-br:Nicolau Flamel ru:Николас Фламель zh:尼可·勒梅 Category:1320s births Category:1990s deaths Category:Alchemists Category:Battle in the Lestrange Family Mausoleum participants Category:Beauxbatons students Category:Centenarians Category:Flamel family Category:French individuals Category:Historical figures Category:Inventors Category:Males Category:Philosophers Category:Plot to steal the Philosopher's Stone participants Category:Potioneers Category:Wizards